CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT-THE GIFT

“Imara! Slow down. Baby, please wait for me!” Ben called out as he ran down the narrow dirt path she was walking along. No matter how hard he tried to reach her, she was always a few steps ahead. Once he got past the tall gates, Ben followed her scent down a cobblestone road to a harbor. Imara sat on an old wooden dock with her feet dangling in the water watching the ships sail off into the fiery sunset beyond the horizon.

As a gust of wind caught her hair, the smell of warm apple pie slapped Ben in the face.

“Imara!” Ben shot up in bed and looked around the room.

“No, not with this ugly mug, I’m not.”

Ben closed his eyes and shook his head. “Haldir? Of all the faces I have to see when I wake up, it’s yours? Really?”

Haldir screwed the cap back on his flask then stuffed it in his shirt. “Welcome back to the land of the living, Ben.”

As Ben clutched at the pain in his chest, he asked, “Where is she?”

Haldir lit a cigarette then threw the match in the ashtray as he puffed. “Up in bumfuck West Virginia somewhere with Thorin waiting for us. You ready to hit the road or what?”

Ben nodded as he tried to get his bearings. “How long have I been here?”

As he blew out the smoke from the side of his mouth, Haldir squinted and said, “A couple days maybe. Some poor cleaning lady found you in Imara’s bedroom bleeding all over the goddamn place again. You really need to pick another way to come back next time.”

Ben snickered to himself. “There won’t be a next time and there’s no other place in the world I’d rather come back to even if I do.”

Haldir raised his eyebrows quickly as he pushed out his lips and took another drag. “You seem to be in a better frame of mind then the last time. That’s good. We got a lot of work to do before we face that prick again. It’ll be a whole lot easier if you don’t start a lot of drama straight out of the gate.”

Ben sat on the side of the bed and cracked his neck on each side. “Does she remember anything?”

Haldir flicked his ashes in the tray and nodded. “Seems to, but something happened when she did what she did. You might not believe this, but Imara taking her own life may have just turned things around for us.”

As he shook out his hair then pushed it back, he asked, “What do you mean?”

“Not sure yet. But it looks like she went to the Realm. Says she has a message from a friend of mine there.” Haldir stood up and picked up a duffle bag then threw it on the bed beside Ben. “Get dressed, I’ll meet you outside.”

As Ben watched the cars drive by on the interstate, he shook his head then took a bite of his BigMac. “This shit is crazy. What year is it anyway?”

Haldir threw his cigarette butt out the window then rolled it up. “1995.”

Ben’s head whipped to Haldir. “Did you say 1995? Are you serious?” Ben turned towards the window again and put his elbow on the door and his hand to his mouth then laughed. “That’s so funny. You know I promised Shaw that even if it took me a hundred years, I’d kill that asshole.”

Haldir glanced to Ben and said, “You’re a year late you know.”

Ben nodded. “Yeah, thanks for that, Haldir. You always did know what to say.”

When they pulled up in the drive, Thorin’s car was gone. They walked up to the door and as Haldir looked inside through the glass, Ben took the note from the door and opened it. 

Hi Sweetheart. Thorin’s taking me shopping. Go on in and make yourselves at home. I love you.

Ben smiled then he kissed the paper and put it in his pocket. Haldir opened the door and said, “Nice place. Not quite the mansion you were used to last time, is it?”

Ben shut the door behind him and shook his head. “No, it’s perfect. I bet Imara just loves this place.” As he felt the doorframe and looked around the full kitchen, Ben said, “She’s going to be really disappointed when I tell her I can’t build one just like it.”

As Haldir and Ben sat at the kitchen island drinking beer, Thorin’s red Cadillac pulled into the driveway. Hearing the sound of the tires hitting the gravel, Ben stood up and pushed his hair back off his face. 

Haldir swallowed his beer then said, “Don’t worry, Prince Charming, you look good.” He nodded to the door and said, “Go see about your girl.”

As Thorin was helping Imara from the car, Ben opened the front door. “Imara!”

He jumped down the stairs and ran to the car then scooped her up in his arms. As she wrapped her arms around his neck, Imara pressed her lips to Ben’s and giggled. “Hello there, Mr. Logan. Did you miss me?”

He put her down then slid his hands to her cheeks. “Did I miss you? Oh, Imara, I missed you so much, baby.”

Imara balled his shirt up into her hands as she started to shake her head. “I’m so sorry Ben. I’m sorry. I was so sad, and my mind was...I’m sorry for leaving you like that.”

Putting his forehead against hers, Ben took her hands and kissed them. “It’s ok baby. We’re together now. How much do you remember Imara?”

“I remember everything Ben. Everything. I feel good.”

Thorin opened the trunk and shook his head as he looked at all the bags. “Would you mind terribly prying your hands off of her and helping me with these bags, Ben? My sister made up for the fifty years of shopping she’s missed on our little excursion today. I believe I just singlehandedly saved that little town financially.” He continued to mutter to himself as Ben reluctantly let Imara go. “Maybe they’ll build me a statue. Prince Thorin…the savior of small-town America.”

While Ben and Thorin carried the bags inside, Imara hugged Haldir as he sat at the counter. “I hear you had a run in with a friend of mine.”

She put her hand of Haldir’s arm and put her other on her chest. “Oh, yes. Your friend Daniel is just the sweetest man, Haldir.” After nearly choking on the beer in his mouth, Haldir swallowed and asked, “Is that so?”

“Oh, yes. Haven’t you ever noticed his resemblance to Ben before?”

Haldir stood from the stool he was sitting on and glanced at Ben as he set the bags on the floor. “Yeah, I can see it, I guess. They all kind of have that tall, dark and handsome thing happening for them”

“Well, he said that he and Ben are relatives. Oh, wait a minute, I don’t want to have to do this twice. Thorin!”

Thorin kicked the door closed behind him and put the last of the bags down. “Yes, darlin.”

Imara patted the counter. “Come sit down so I can tell you what that nice man said.”

As Thorin sat down beside him, Ben pulled Imara to sit on his leg. “Well, the strangest thing happened. I just appeared in this library and Mr. Darke was there waiting. He said he brought me there to give Haldir a message and a gift.”

“What gift?” asked Haldir. Thorin took the brown case from Imara’s bag and put it in front of him. As Haldir uncovered the knives, Imara continued.

“Mr. Darke…”

Haldir put up his hand as he looked over the knives, “His Majesty.”

Imara put her hand to her mouth. “Oh dear. He must’ve thought my manners were just awful. Well, his Majesty Daniel told me that these knives were elven steel and that they carried the death curse. He said that Ben would need them to kill Selvin.”

“And what if he uses them on us?” asked Thorin as he picked one up and admired it.

“He can’t. It will only work for the one it’s made for. He sent one for each of us. The knives are brothers. They bind us to one another. When Selvin comes, if the knife is used against him, they will all know. If he comes for me, if I’m able to fight back, you will all know it and can come to help me.”

Haldir glanced up. “Was there anything else, Imara?”

“Well ,yes, he said to remember the vision you showed his wife. He said that’s why it was important to end this, because Ben and I were needed there. He said that he and Ben are kin and that he wanted you to bring him there as soon as this business was all settled.” Imara was breathless by this point. She tried to say everything before she forgot any of it.

Haldir picked up his knife and brought it in front of his face while reading the inscription. “Well, this certainly fucking changes things, doesn’t it?”

Imara snickered. “Yes, I believe it does. Daniel was quite sure of himself when he told me that this would be over soon.”

Ben wasn’t so hopeful. “But he’s still coming. He’s still coming to kill you baby.”

Imara put her arms around Ben’s neck and looked him in the eyes. “Yes, but I’m not afraid anymore, Ben. This curse, it’s not you Ben. You were right the first time, it’s me, it always was. Fate sent you to me to save me.”

He pushed Imara’s hair behind her ear and shook his head. “I don’t want you to suffer anymore.”

“It’s ok Ben. I’m not afraid. Don’t be afraid. That’s what this whole curse is about, making us suffer. Don’t do it. We’re going to live our lives and be happy no matter what. He can kill us, but he can’t wipe those memories away from us. You don’t have to be afraid of losing me and Eliza. We will always, always come back to you. Fuck him. Fuck that ugly, creepy bastard.”

Ben laughed out loud. He didn’t remember ever hearing Imara say fuck before, not outside of his bed anyway.  He took her chin in his hand. “Where’d that dirty mouth come from?”

Imara put her hand on Ben’s. “Everything’s different now, Ben, even me. It’s a good thing. That mean old man doesn’t know what’s waiting for him this time.”